Propane explosion

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digger

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This was about 20 miles from me. http://www.register-herald.com/homepage/local_story_030211134.html

Last I heard there were 5 dead and 10 in critical condition. Haven't seen the local news, so it may be rumors.
Usually a pretty busy store. I always stop when I come through there.
Got a good friend that works on the ambulance. Wasn't working there last I talked to him. But he lives close and was talking about picking up a few shifts there. So I'm trying to get in touch with him. Too late to call but I'm worried about him.

One of the guys at work got a call at lunch that one of his friends was killed.

My prayers and condolences (sp?) go out to everyone involved.
 
holy crap its leveled, crazy...
Yeah man. Nothing left.
Building was maybe 40' x 60'? Average size little store. Had a Godfather's pizza in it?
We all stop in one about everyday. Makes ya think, doesn't it?

Just a stupid freak accident. Most likely the guys working on the tanks didn't know what they were doing.

Good thing it was a rural area or there would have been more fatalities.
If I remember right, there was one house about 100 yds or more? Was off the road and protected by woods. Next closest thing was the Fire dept. Elementary school was next. 3 or 400 yds? Knocked part of their windows out.
 
thats scary.. just the shear devastation makes you wonder about using your bbq grill..I'm goin to charcoal
 
Got hold of my buddy that is an EMT. He is ok.
He was fouled up at some sort of meeting at a hospital. It took longer than it should have for some reason. Thank God for that.

He was actually heading that way, maybe 5 or 6 miles from the scene when it exploded. Ended up being the first EMT on the scene. He has seen some pretty bad stuff. Told me that was the worse one he had ever been on.

Freaking me out just thinking about it. We've been friends for 30yrs or so. Always been there for me.
If he would have got out of his meeting just a few minutes earlier, he would have been sitting there when the explosion happened.
 
Wow, I've been through Ghent several times and I have no doubt I've been in that little store before.

Man, there is absolutely nothing left! So sorry about those that perished, but I am happy to hear your buddy is unharmed, Digger.
 
Man that is crazy. My prayers go out to the families and friends involved.
 
I'm going to take this opportunity to advocate some propane safety. Make sure that the handwheel on your gas grill propane tanks are of a triangular shape. If it is not then the valve is NOT an OPD (overfill protection device). Propane cylinders are not to be filled completely, the gas need room to expand when the ambient temperature goes up.Propane valves that are not of OPD type have been outlawed but that doesn't mean that they aren't still floating around and being filled by people that don't know any better.

Also, leave it to the press to start babbling BS...

"The gas, because of the cold weather, stayed low to the ground."

The weather has nothing to do with it. Propane is heavier than air and will settle at the lowest possible elavation no matter what the ambient temperature is.

This is exactly why people don't know what they are doing. The press feeds us crap all the time.

This is a very sad story. very unfortunate. Everybody just be cautious when you are firing up your grill this summer. Even a little 20lb cylinder (grill style tanks) can do devastating damage (not to mention kill you).

Take care with this stuff guys. I know it's pretty commonplace but it's no joke as you can see.
 
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Wow, I've been through Ghent several times and I have no doubt I've been in that little store before.

Man, there is absolutely nothing left! So sorry about those that perished, but I am happy to hear your buddy is unharmed, Digger.
It's about a 45 minute drive to the hobby shop. (Tazewell, Va.) We usually stop there to get a coke and a snack.

Several people I know were good friends with one of the guys that got killed there.
My bro said that when he got there, the guy was still alive, but there was nothing he could do for him.
There was still a large propane tank on fire when he got on the scene. I know he just jumped in there trying to help anyone he could.
Only reason he chose that career was to try to make a difference. Never could understand it, but I always had a hell of a lot of respect for him because of it.

We haven't been able to get together much lately. He has been trying to build a house, I work nights... Someway I'm going to try to spend some more time with him this year.
I've been stressed out pretty bad lately. This has really messed with me.
If my bro would have got out of his meeting 5 minutes sooner, maybe if he wouldn't have got behind some old guy running about 25mph?
Say it is fate, God had something for him to do.
Whatever you believe...

Life is short. Take it slow. And enjoy what ya can of it.....
 
Yeah you don't screw with propane, one of its by-products is nitromethane. I used to work with it a lot, tanks and stuff, and to watch gas station attendants handle it, it looks like most of them don't have a clue of the potential power they are handling.

Man tha'ts awful for the people that were there - what gets me is the press (read article) is already looking for someone to blame.
 
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